Fire-escape



(No Model.) 7 W. OLDROYD.

FIRE ESQ APB. 72 2- Patented May 22,1883

Jun-fa 7K1, '00,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM OLDROYD, or COLUMBUS, 01110.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,171, dated May 22, 1883.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM OLDROYD, Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fire-escapes; and it consists in the combination of a suitable frame, three rollers, one of which has its journals to move back and forth in a slot, a rigid rod or lever provided with a friction-roller, and a pivoted lever carrying a second friction-roller, the friction-rollers upon the levers being out of line with each other, so as to bend the rope out of a straight line,

and thus obtain a greater hold or leverage upon it. V

The object of my invention is to provide a fire-escape which a person can attach to the window-sill or some object in the room, and then lower himself to the ground, controlling the speed at which he shall descend by means of suitable levers.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention complete. Fig. 2 is a similar view with one side of the frame removed.

A represents a suitable frame, which may be of any desired shape, size, or construction that may be preferred, and which has a section 6r length of rope, B, rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner, so as to form a loop in which the person using "the escape can either stand, sit, or support himself upon one knee. In the upper part of this frame are the two rollers O, which are in a vertical line with each other, and around which the rope D is made to wrap. A third roller, F, is placed to one side of thesetwo rollers and midway between them. This roller, unlike the other two,has its journals placed in aslot, Gr, formed in the frame, so that this roller will have a slight horizontal'movement. The rope does not coil around this roller, but simply bears against its outer side, and, by forcing this roller toward the other two, cramps the rope against the sides of the other rollers, and thus prevents the rope from unwinding too rapidly. The amount of pressure this movable roller exerts upon the other two'will Application filed February 9, L883. (No model.)

able frietion-roller, I, against which the rope is made to bear. ner of the frame, opposite to this rigid arm or lever, is themovable lever J, which is provided with a friction-roller, O, which will either be placed above orbelow the center of the other roller, but not in a line therewith. These rollers are placed in this relation to each other Pivoted or journaled upon this arm or lever is a suit-- Pivoted upon the lower cor so that when the pivoted lever is forced inward against the rigid arm or lever these two rollers will bend or cramp the rope out of a straight line, and thus more readily check the rapidity with which the rope slips in between the rollers.

A person standing, sitting, or kneeling in the loop formed by the rope B has but to clasp the stationary arm or lever with one hand, and he can readily regulate the speed with which he descends to the ground. upper end of the rope by which the descent is made will be provided with a book, so that it can be fastened upon the window-frame, or in or to any article of furniture in the room.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 7 The combination of a suitable frame provided with slots, two rollers placed in a vertical line with each otlier,a sliding roller placed midway between the two, a stationary arm or lever provided with a friction-roller, and a pivo ted arm or lever provided with a frictionroller, and the rope by which the descent is made, the parts being combined and arranged to o perate substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix in y signature in The 

